Dark Academia, from TikTok trend catwalks

From the beginning of the pandemic to today, we have witnessed numerous social phenomena and trends arising from the times we are experiencing: among these, through more or less explicit expressions, there is undoubtedly the feeling of precariousness and fear of the unknown awakened by the uncertainty in every area. A general concern which, however, is not to be considered exclusively negative: after all, artistic and literary currents such as the romanticism of the nineteenth century, or thephilosophical existentialism, are splendid humanistic fruits of this universal awareness that cyclically returns in the course of history.

And it was only a matter of – shortly – time before this general sentiment manifested itself through today’s mediums, starting with TikTok. On the platform that symbolizes Generation Z, in fact, from this summer an aesthetic trend has begun to peep out that summarizes the decadent moods of this moment through looks of gothic and preppy inspirations: Dark Academia.

A new reinterpretation of fashion codes which, in addition to expressing the more “dark” side of the last year, represented a sense of community for young people all over the world who have found themselves having to study from home, without interacting with their classmates: as the name Academia suggests, the emblematic clothing of this trend is those of school inspiration, from uniforms in tartan to lavallière shirts, through trousers with pleats, knitwear and moccasins in earthy and dark gray tones. More generally, the definition offered by the young people who run the Dark Academia themselves is that of “an aesthetic centered on university, writing, the arts, classical and gothic architecture, romantic nostalgia and death”. Which, to give an idea of ​​its social impact, has exceeded i 256 million views as a hashtag, and the 40 thousand videos created on TikTok.

“If one of your favorite creators changes their aesthetic according to a particular trend, an entire style can be born,” said Yazmin How, head of content at TikTok, to Vogue Business: «The fashion industry is no longer the only voice guiding the trends of the new season. People are tapping into TikTok to see what emerging ‘in’ styles are and what formerly popular trends are returning. ‘ It must be said, however, that between February and March 2020, well before the Dark Academia phenomenon depopulated among the very young, the parades for the current winter season had already planned this romantic return, transforming clothing items considered until recently “boring” and “dated” – from an uncool intellectual, in a certain sense – into real must-haves: in the gallery, the catwalk looks they have anticipated the Dark Academia trend and a themed shopping selection. For a mid-season outfit to show off or, simply, to sit by the window on a rainy day and re-read a classic by Charles Baudelaire or Howard Philip Lovecraft.